Germany-based Deutsche Bank has made its digital asset custody service available to paying clients, according to Reuters. It also announced that it has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Deutsche Asset Management, the asset manager it majority owns, which until recently operated under the name DWS.
The launch follows Deutsche Bank’s disclosure in September 2026 that it was preparing a custody service for institutional and corporate clients in Europe, subject to regulatory approvals.
From announcement to live service
When Deutsche Bank first set out its plans in September 2026, it said the custody business would support the safekeeping and storage of digital assets, including bitcoin and ether. The service is aimed at institutional and corporate clients in Europe. It has moved from announcement to commercial availability in roughly two months.
The bank presents custody as the first part of a broader digital asset strategy. A company official said that, in the medium term, Deutsche Bank aims to deliver a fully integrated, regulated ecosystem covering the custody, tokenisation, and settlement of digital assets. That points to a model in which custody serves as the base layer for later services built around issuing and settling tokenised assets within a regulated banking framework.
The offering is also not expected to stay limited to Europe. Deutsche Bank has previously told Reuters that it plans to expand the service to Asia, with those plans reported in October 2026.
Collaboration with Deutsche Asset Management
Under the MoU, Deutsche Bank and Deutsche Asset Management will explore comprehensive commercial and technical collaboration opportunities in the digital asset space. The announcement did not give details on the scope, structure, or timeline of the collaboration.
The agreement links the bank’s custody infrastructure with its asset management arm. This could open the way for coordinated activity across the group as Deutsche Bank builds out its tokenisation and settlement ambitions. Any concrete products or services arising from the MoU have yet to be announced.
European banks and digital markets
The launch comes as European banks show increasing openness towards digital markets. In September 2025, a group of European banks formed a company to launch a stablecoin, an example of incumbent institutions engaging directly with digital asset infrastructure rather than leaving the segment to specialist providers.
For institutional and corporate clients in Europe, Deutsche Bank’s service provides a bank-operated option for holding digital assets such as bitcoin and ether. The bank’s stated plans to add tokenisation and settlement, together with the MoU and the planned expansion to Asia, show that it treats custody as an entry point into a wider set of regulated digital asset services rather than a standalone product.
